Water-closet apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A P. WHITE; WATER IGLOSBT. APPARATUS.

No. 514,103. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

( No Model.) y f- -2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l l P. WHITE,

WATER GLOHSETy APPARATUS.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

' No, v514,103.

UNITED STATES PATENTH @EF-ICE.

PETER WHITE, or sr. LoUIs, MISSOURI.

wATEa-oLosET APPARATUS.

v SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,103, dated February 6, 1894. I i i Application lecl May 9, 1893,. Serial No.473,530. (Nc model.)

To 1 /ZZ whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that I, PETER WHITE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, inl

the Stateof Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Water-Closet Apparatus, of'

which the following is 'such a full, clear,`and eX- act description as will enable anyone skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, specification. v

I have as one of the objects of my invention, to provide a water-closet apparatus having novel, efcient and reliable automaticallyoperated means for flushing the bowl and discharging its contents. I

Ihave as an additional object of my invention,to so constructand arrange theappliances employed for the purpose aforesaid as to admit of properly flushing eithera single bowl, or a series orv battery of bowls with water drawn from asingle primarysupply reservoir or tank, there being employed but a single flushing valve and, if preferred, but a single overflow pipe. Y

The rst of said objects I accomplish by providing in conjunction with a water-closet having a supply-reservoir, a valve which is automatically operated whenever the watercloset is used, in such a way as to permit water to flow from a supply or priming pipe normally in communication with the supply reservoir, into a second or ushing pipe, also communicating with the supply reservoir, but normally closed against the iiow of water therefrom by a flushing valve; thewater so passing into the second or iiushing pipe oper; ating to open said iiushing valve, thereby priming said flushing pipe, so that when the user rises from the closet, the water will ow from the second or liushing pipe into the bowl,

bowls of a battery or series of bowls, not in direct communication withthe primary supply reservoir, a supply or priming pipe leading to said primary supply reservoir, and a forming part of thisl valve, seat, and pipe connections.

second or flushing pipe leading to a second or auxiliary reservoir, normally containing no water, thesaid pipes having a valve interposed between t-hem, said valve being so contherefrom through the fiushing pipe into the bowl, thereby thoroughly flushing and cleansing the same.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figure l is a front elevation of a series of three water-closets provided with my appaia.

tus. Fig. 2 is a top view of a bowl and surrounding casing, showing the valve and the manner in which the several pipes may be arranged. Fig. 3 is a frontV elevation of a bowl and part of the surrounding casing, showing Figt the seat, valve, and pipe connections. is a side elevation of a bowl with part of the surrounding casing removed, showing the Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the valve operated by the seat.- Figs. 6, 7.and 8 are sectional views showing and illustrating the mode of operation of the tiushing valve.

`Referring to the drawings,in which the same numbers indicate the same parts throughout the several views: l isa water-closet bowl of any ordinary construction. The bowl l is inclosed within the casing 2, which casing I represent in the drawings as supported upon the legs 3. The bowl 1 is provided with the overflow 4 conducting to the discharge'outlet 5, which is in communication with any proper sewer or drain pipe. Properly hinged to the top of the casing 2 is the seat 6, the said seat normally resting on the top of the valve-stem 19, as hereinafter explained. y

Placed at an elevation somewhat above the level offfthe bowl 1 is the supply reservoir 7 (Fig. 1). Although in the drawings I have Y represllted the supply reservoir 7 as situated ICD one of the merits of myinvention that it permits the supply reservoir to be removed from the vicinity of the bowl, if such an arrangement be found desirable, provided only it be situated at a higher level than the bowl.

lVater is conducted to the supply reservoir 7 by the pipe 8, and the water is maintained at aconstant level in the supply reservoir by means of the ordinary float valve 9.

10 is an overflow pipe, its upper end being placed somewhat above the normal level of the water in the supply reservoir, and its lower end entering the bowl through an aperture 11 (Fig. 3).

12 is the supply or priming pipe communieating with the supply reservoir 7, and having its upper end open so that water can flow from the supply reservoir downward through said pipe. The lower end of the pipe 12 enters the aperture 13 communicating with the lower valve chamber 14 of the seat-valve 15 (Fig. 5). The Valve 15 is placed in a vertical position within the casing 2 which surrounds the bowl 1. The valve 15 consists of a valve casing within which are three valve-chambers, a lower valve-chamber 14 communicating with the supply pipe 12 as aforesaid, a central valve-chamber 16, and an upper valvechamber 18. The valve chambers 14 and 16 communicate with each other by means of a port, and the valve chambers 16 and 18 likewise communicate through a similar port. Through the top of the valve casing passes the valve stem 19, which has mounted upon it within the valve casing, the valve plug 20 adapted to close the port between the valve chambers 18 and 16, and also the valve plug 2l adapted to close the port between the valve chambers 16 and 14. Within the lower valve chamber 14 is placed the coiled spring 22. Normally the said coiled spring will hold the plug 21 up to its seat so as to close the port between the valve chambers 14 and 16, and will lift the valve plug 20 from its seat so as to open the port between the valve chambers 16 and 18. When the upper end of the valve stem 19 is depressed, as hereinafter described, the valve plug 20 will be seated, cutting 0E communication between valve chambers 18 and 16, and the valve plug 21 unseated, opening communication between valvechambers 16 and 14. The upper end of the valve-stem 19 is so placed relatively to the hinged seat 6 that said seat will normally be supported by the valve-stem 19, the weight of said seat alone being insufficient to depress said valvestem; but when a person sits upon the seat 6, the valve-stem 19 will be depressed, operating the Valve as just described. Communicating with the central valvechamber 16 is the flushing-pipe 23, and communicating with the upper valve-chamber 18 is the pipe 24, which latter pipe enters the bowl l near the rear thereof.

The flushing pipe 23 passes upward and enters the supply reservoir 7, its upper end being normally closed by the chambered or lifting ushing-valve 25 (Figs. 1, 6, 7 and 8). The said valve 25 is of the general character described in Letters Patent No. 363,566, issued to me on May 24, 1887. It consists of a hollow semi-spherical casing open upon its lower side, the said opening being adapted to surround the orifice through which the flushingpipe 23 communicates with the supply-resera Voir 7. Passing through the top of the semispherical casing is the combined vent and overow pipe 26; the upper end of said overilow pipe being placed somewhat above the normal level of the water in the reservoir 7, and its lower end projecting into the chamber formed by the hollow semi-spherical cas ing. A guide 3l is secured by a spider to the `lower end of the overow pipe 26, the said guide passing through a suitable orifice in a second spider 29 secured within the orifice leading to the iiushing-pipe 23, and having upon its lower extremity an enlarged portion 32, which limits the extent to which the valve can be lifted.

Although the valve 25 is preferably of the form herein described, I may employ any valve which is adapted to be automatically opened by the upward pressure of the water in the flushing-pipe 23, and that will be automatically closed when said pressure ceases.

The mode of operation of my improved apparatus where it is employed in connection with a single bowl, is as follows: When the user sits upon the seat 6 his weight operates to depress the valve-stem 19 of the valve 15, which is situated within the casing surrounding the bowl 1, the valve 2O is seated, and communication between valve-chambers 18 and 16 cut od, while the valve-plug 21 is unseated and communication opened between valve-chambers 14 and 16. Water will at once iow from the supply-pipe 12 (which communicates with the supply-reservoir 7) into the valve-chamber 16, and thence pass upward in the flushing-pipe 23. As the water tends to rise upward in the iiushing-pipe 23 to the same level as that occupied by the water in the supply-reservoir 7 (the source of supply) it will exert an upward pressure upon the flushing-valve 25, and will lift the same from its seat as indicated in Fig. 8. The

,iiushing-valve 25 will remain open as long as communication between the supply-pipe 12 and the flushing-pipe 23 is maintained, by reason of the upward pressure of the water against the imprisoned cushion of air (Figs. 7 and 8) contained within the semi-spherical casing of said valve 25. The valve 25 being open, the flushing-pipe 23 is now primed ready for flushing the bowl, and as the water in the supplypipe 12 and the fiushing-pipe 23 is in equilibrium, no further movement of the water or apparatus will take place until the user rises from his seat upon the closet. When the user rises from the seat 6, the spring 22 will elevate the valve-stem 19, thereby closing communication between valvechambers 14 and 16, and opening communication between valve-chambers 16 and 18. Water will now flow from the supply-reservoir 7 through the liushing-pipe 23 into the valve-chamber 16, thence into the valvechamber 18, thence through the pipe 24 into the bowl 1. The valve. 25 will not close at once, but before closing will permit a sufficient quantity of water to pass from the supplyreservoir 7 downward through the flushingpipe 23, and thence into the bowl to thoroughly cleanse the same, after which the valve 25 closes, cutting off the flow of water from the supply-reservoir through the iushing-pipe, and all the water in said iushing-pipe flows 0E through the bowl. The operation herein described will be repeated as often 'as the Where it is desired to employ a battery of several bowls, my invention enables me to use asingle primary supply-reservoir or tank, and a single supply-pipe and flushing-valve to flush all the bowls of the battery. The preferable form of arranging such a battery is illustrated in Fig.` 1, where is shown a series of three bowls provided with my improved apparatus. The additional bowls of the battery not flushed directly. from the supplyreservoir 7,' are provided with the auxiliaryreservoirs 7', 7 normally containing no water, which communicate with the valve-chambers 16 of the seat-valves 15 through tlushin gpipes 23 23". The-tlushing-pipe 23 is shownv in the drawings as being provided at its yupper end with a siphon 23, through which it communicateswith the auxiliary-reservoir 7', and the flushing-pipe 23" is represented as terminating in an orifice 32 at the bottom of the reservoir 7-either manner of connecting said pipe with the auxiliary reservoir being suitable,where my apparatus is employed, The valves 15 are in communication with the primary su pply-reservoir through the supplypipe 1-2, said supply-pipe 12 being of such length and having such a direction as will adapt it to communicate with the seat-valves 15 of any number of bowls. In all other respectsthe additional bowls are of the same form and 4have the same pipe connections as hereinbefore described. The mode of operation of said additional bowls which communicate with the auxiliary-reservoirs 7 7", is as follows: When a user sits upon the seat 6, the seat-valve 15 will be operated and water willpass from the supply-pipe 12 to flushingpipe 23 or 23, as the case may be, and `thence upward into the auXiliary-reservoir7' or 7 Water will continue to flow-into said auxiliary-reservoir until the water therein reaches the level of t.he.waterin the primary supplyreservoir '7, or until the user rises from his seat, cutting off communication with said supply-reservoir. The float-valve 9 will now operate to admit more water into the primary supply-reservoir so as to maintain the water therein at the desired level, and thus replace the water withdrawn. When the user rises from the seat 6, the valve 15 is operated as before described, to establish communication between the ushing-pipe 23 or 23" and the pipe 24 leading to the bowl, and the waterin the auxiliary-reservoir will ow downward into the bowl, giving it the desired flush, and thisoperation will be repeated as often as said bowls or any of them, are used.

It is impossible, where my apparatus is ein- .ployed, that either the primar)7 supply-reservoir 7 or the auxiliary-reservoirs 7 7 should overflow. Should the float-valve 9 be leaky or otherwise defective so as not to maintain the water at the proper level in the primary supply-reservoir 7, the excess of water will be carried off at all times by the overflow pipe 10, and the overow and vent-pipe 26 communicating with the liushing-pipe 23,will also serve as anv additional overow, at such times as the user is not on the seat of the water-closet to which it conducts, because at such times `the pipe 23 communicates directly with the bowl through the pipe 24, as hereinbefore explained. The primary supplyreservoir 7 is prevented from overflowing by the overliow pipes 10 and 26 just described. The auxiliary-reservoirs 7', 7 are placed at the same level as the primary supply-reservoir 7, and hence as the waterwill rise to the same level in the former as in the latter and no higher, the overflow pipes connected with the primary supply-reservoir will also prevent the overliowing of the auXiliary-reservoirs.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure byLetters Patent of the United States isv 1. A water-closet apparatus consisting of a reservoir or tank, a bowl, a priming-pipecoinmunicating with the reservoir, a second or flushing-pipe also communicating with the reservoir and normally closed against the liow of water therefrom by a valve, and a valve mechanism for firstestablishing communication between the priming-pipe and the liushing-pipe, and second, cutting yolf said communication, and establishing communication between said flushing pipe and the bowl.

2. A water-closet apparatus consisting of a reservoir or tank, a bowl, a priming-pipe communicating with the reservoir, a second or flushing-pipe also communicating with the reservoir and normally closed against theflow of water therefrom by a valve, and automaticv valve mechanism for first establishing communication between the priming-pipe and the flushing-pipe, and second, cutting 0E said communication andestablishing communication between said iushing-pipe and the bowl.

3. yA water-closet apparatus consisting of a reservoir or tank, a bowl, a priming-pipe communicating with the reservoir, a second or flushing-pipe also communicating with the reservoir and normally closed against the flow of Water therefrom by a valve, and an automatically-operated seat-valve for rst, establishing communication between the primingpipe and the iushing-pipe, andv second, cut- IOO IIO

ting off said communication and establishing/ communication between said flushing-pipe and the bowl.

4. A water-closet apparatus consisting of a reservoir or tank, a bowl, a priming-pipe communicating with the reservoir, a fiushing-pipe also communicating with the reservoir and normally closed against the flow of water therefrom by a lifting-valve, adapted to be opened by pressure within said iushing-pipe, and an automatically-operated seat-valve for first, establishing communication between the priming-pipe and the liushing-pipe, and second, cutting olf said communication and establishing communication between said flushing-pipe and the bowl.

5. A water-closet apparatus consisting of a reservoir or tank, a bowl, an overflow pipe, a second or priming-pipe communicating with the reservoir, a third or iiushing-pipe also communicating with the reservoir and normally closed against4 the iiow of water therefrom by a valve, and automatic valve mechanism for first, establishing communication between the priming pipe and the flushingpipe, and second, cutting oft said communication and establishing' communication bctween said flushing-pipe and the bowl.

6. In a water-closet apparatus provided with a plurality of bowls, the combination of a primary supply-reservoir from which one or more bowls are directly hushed, one or more auxiliary-reservoirs, a priming-pipe communicating with the primary supplyreservoir, flushing-pipes each communicating with its respective auxiliary reservoir, and valve mechanism for rst, establishing communication between the primingpipe and the flushing-pipe, and second, cutting olf said communication, and establishing communication between said iiushing-pipe and the bowl.

7. In a water-closet apparatus provided with a plurality of bowls, the combination of a primary supply-reservoir from which one or more bowls are directly iiushed, one or more auxiliary-reservoirs, a priming-pipe communicating with the primary supply-reservoir, tlushingpipes each communicating with its respective auxiliary-reservoir, and automatic valve mechanism for first, establishing communication between the primingpipe and the flushing-pipe, and second, cutting oft said communicationand establishing communication between said flushing-pipe and the bowl.

S. In a watercloset apparatus provided with a plurality of bowls, the combination of a primary su pply-reservoir from which one or more bowls are flushed, one or more auxiliaryreservoirs, a priming-pipe communicating with the primary supply-reservoir, flushingpipes each communicating with its respective auxiliary reservoir, and an automaticallyoperated seat-valve for Iirst, establishing communication between the priming-pipe and the flushing-pipe, and second, cutting ott said communication and establishing communication between said iiushing-pipe and the bowl.

9. In a watercloset apparatus provided with a plurality of bowls, the combination of a primary supply-reservoir from which one or more bowls are directly fiushed, an overiiow pipe leading from said primary supply-reservoir, one or more auxiliary-reservoirs, a priming-pipe communicating with the primary supply-reservoir, iushing-pipes each communicating with its respective auxiliaryreservoir, and valve mechanism for first, establishing communication between the primingpipe and the flushing-pipe, and second, cutting off said communication and establishing communication between said flushing-pipe and the bowl.

In testimony whereot` I have hereunto set my hand and alixed my seal, this 3d day of May, 1893, in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

PETER VI-IITE. [11. s] Witnesses: i

A. C. FowLER,

WALTER D. CoLEs. 

